Umoh Uduak, a friend to Iniubong Umoren, the Akwa Ibom job seeker who was raped and killed recently, says police operatives demanded that a van be hired and fueled before commencing investigation into the matter.
In an interview with with newsmen, Umoh who was shedding tears, recounted how the victim had kept her abreast of her movements as she herself proceeded from Akwa Ibom to Lagos, where she was told to resume work on May 3.
Umoh said Ini’s sister had gone to the police station to report the case when she informed her of the development.
She said the family was told by the police that it hadn’t been up to 24 hours since Iniubong disappeared, prompting Ini’s sister to return home.
“When she went back at 8:30 am (the next day), the police told her they couldn’t go with their van, that she has to hire a van and buy fuel. I called people and they sent money which she got and returned to the station,” she said.
“Police personnel said they were investigating and we heard nothing. I sent the number to people who checked with Truecaller and found it belonged to Ezekiel Akpan. People went through her Twitter and saw the post she made seeking a job.”
Akpan was said to have promised the deceased a job, fixed an appointment with her in Uyo where she would meet her death.
Umoh revealed that a one time victim (Miriam) reached out to her following Ini’s death to reveal how “Akpan had similarly invited her only to drug, rape, took her photograph and blackmail her with threats of posting her nudes online.”
She added that Miriam sent the address where the incident occurred, which was forwarded to the police, at which time Akpan’s father was arrested forcing Akpan to later report himself to the police.
“This is not a case of her going missing. Everyone knew where she went to. She sent the address to her sister. She also sent the number of the caller (Akpan) to her sister. We got his picture. The father admitted it was his son.
“People were coming out to give their statement that he has been doing the same thing to other people. So why did the police delay for two days before telling us Iniubong had been killed. We don’t know when exactly she was killed.”
She was declared dead last Sunday, two days after going missing and the family had raised an alarm.
The Akwa Ibom state police had thereafter apprehended one Uduak Frank Akpan (20) for “kidnapping, raping, and then killing the victim”. He was also said to have first buried the deceased in a shallow grave and fled.
As the case gained more attention on social media, the police stated that the deceased had been exhumed and deposited at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital for autopsy while the investigation continued.
